It’s the Premier League Allstars team coming to AFC Portchester this summer for a charity football match in aid of Sophie’s Legacy.

 

The team of famous footballing faces will be taking on a Pompey Charity Squad packed full of former Fratton Park favourites in the game being held at The OnSite Group Stadium on Saturday, July 19, at 4pm.

 

After the success of the game held last year which featured a Manchester United Legends squad, this year’s event promises to be just as big and a number of the players who featured in 2024 will be back at Portchester again.

 

Wes Brown is a Premier League defender who needs no introduction. During a career which saw him play for Manchester United, Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers he won the Premier League five times, FA Cup and League Cup both twice and he is a double Champions League winner. He also won 23 caps for England.

 

Lee Trundle scored so many goals in last year’s charity game we almost lost count! Expect more goals when the former Wrexham, Swansea City and Bristol City striker returns to The OnSite Group Stadium.

 

Also returning is Russell Beardsmore, a UEFA Cup Winners Cup and European Super Cup winner with Manchester United in 1991; former Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Michael Gray – who was capped three times by England; Lee Hughes – former striker for West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City, Oldham Athletic and Notts County; and former Leeds United, Sheffield United, West Ham United, Blackburn Rovers and Bradford City defender Matt Kilgallon.

 

In goal for the Premier League Allstars will be one of Neil Warnock’s all-time favourite players. Keeper Paddy Kenny was signed five times by him! The Irish international’s clubs included Sheffield United, Queens Park Rangers – where he won the Championship in 2011 – and Leeds United.

 

One player sure to catch the attentions of those following the Pompey Charity Squad on the day will be Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier. He played over 400 games and scored over 150 goals for Saints and was also capped by England eight times.

 

Lee Hendrie is a big favourite with the Aston Villa faithful after making over 250 appearances during a 14 year stay with the club. The midfielder played one game for England during his career too.

 

One of football’s big characters is Dean Windass and he famously fired Hull City to the Premier League with a goal in the play-off final at Wembley in 2008. He also had spells at Aberdeen, Oxford United and Bradford City during his career.

 

Another player in the Premier League Allstars side who Pompey fans of a certain generation will also know all about is Jimmy Carter. The winger played over 70 times for Portsmouth, won the Second Division title with Millwall in 1988 and went on to play for Liverpool and Arsenal.

 

Another player with Arsenal connections is Ian Selley, who won the FA Cup and League Cup with the Gunners in 1993 and then the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1994.

 

Midfielder David Howells played most of his career across north London at Tottenham Hotspur. He was part of the FA Cup winning side in 1991 and went on to play over 300 games for Spurs before moving to Southampton.

 

Completing the Premier League Allstars squad is former Manchester United and England under-21 winger Ben Thornley, who went on to play for Huddersfield Town, Aberdeen and Blackpool.

 

Details of the Pompey Charity Squad are still to be announced but like last year’s event, expect a whole host of famous Pompey faces to be pulling on the Royal Blue shirt once again on the day of the game.

 

Proceeds from the event will be going to support the work of Sophie’s Legacy. The charity is committed to providing emotional, practical and financial support to families with children in hospital.

 

They have helped to make improvements to hospital food for children and ensured parents are fed while they are in hospital with their child.

 

Sophie’s Legacy also works to increase funding into research of childhood cancer and providing training for health professionals to help them identify cancer in children as early as possible. Play specialists are also provided in hospitals across the country.

 

The charity was set up in memory of Sophie Fairall, who died from a rare form of childhood cancer aged 10 in 2021. The work of the charity focuses on the things she wanted changed for other children and their families following her own experiences.

 

Tickets for the Sophie’s Legacy Charity Football Match are now on sale, priced £15 for adults and £10 for concessions.

 

To buy your tickets for this event please click here